2023 SEC Championships: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2023 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 14 – Saturday, February 18, 2023
• Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX.
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Tennessee (1x)
  • Men: Florida (10x)
• Championship Central
• Women’s Fan Guide
• Men’s Fan Guide
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Scratch Report

DAY 5 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

The 2023 SEC Championships wraps up on Saturday with the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breast, men’s platform diving, and 1650 free.

One of the highlights of the day could come in the men’s 100 free, where Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks and Florida’s Josh Liendo are slated for their third head-to-head battle of the meet. Crooks won the 50 free while Liendo prevailed in the 100 fly, setting this finale up to be a thrilling tiebreaker of sorts. Defending NCAA champion Brooks Curry of LSU could also spoil the party in this stacked field.

SCORES AFTER DAY 4

WOMEN:

1. Florida – 962
2. Tennessee – 709.5
3. Kentucky – 698
4. LSU – 624
5. Georgia – 577.5
6. Alabama – 560
7. Auburn – 499
8. South Carolina – 489
9. Texas A&M – 470
10. Arkansas – 415
11. Missouri – 312
12. Vanderbilt – 135

MEN:

1. Florida – 1056.5
2. Auburn – 774.5
3. Texas A&M – 765
4. Tennessee – 727.5
5. Georgia – 584.5
6. Missouri – 517.5
7. Alabama – 464
8. Kentucky – 369
9. South Carolina – 366.5
10. LSU – 240

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:47.24, Beata Nelson (2019)
• SEC Record: 1:48.06, Rhyan White (2020)
• Meet Record: 1:48.06, Rhyan White (2022)
• Pool Record: 1:49.11, Gemma Spofforth (2009)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:50.50
• 2022 Champion: Rhyan White, Alabama (1:50.22)

Top 8:

1. Daisy Platts (Auburn) – 1:51.63
2. Lydia Hanlon (Kentucky) – 1:52.22
3. Ella Varga (LSU) – 1:52.39
4. Josephine Fuller (Tennessee) – 1:52.54
5. Grace Frericks (Kentucky) – 1:52.78
6. Caitlin Brooks (Kentucky) – 1:52.84
7. Mabel Zavaros (Florida) – 1:53.14
8. Emma Weyant (Florida) – 1:53.72

Auburn senior Daisy Platts paced the women’s 200 back prelims with a top-seeded time of 1:51.63, which marks a new personal best by more than two seconds. Platts now ranks fourth in Tigers’ program history in the event.

Kentucky freshman Lydia Hanlon was just .06 seconds off her lifetime best from last month with her 1:52.22 that ranked second this morning behind Platts. Kentucky actually put the most swimmers in this A-final with Grace Frericks (1:52.78) and Caitlin Brooks (1:52.84) also qualifying fifth and sixth, respectively.

Surprisingly, Alabama senior Rhyan White missed the A-final with a time of 1:54.52, placing 12th overall and landing in the B-final. White, the defending 200 back champion, made history on Friday night as the first woman to win four straight 100 back SEC titles.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (2016)
• SEC Record: 1:35.75, Shaine Casas (2021)
• Meet Record: 1:36.85, Shaine Casas (2021)
• Pool Record: 1:36.62, Shaine Casas (2020)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.13
• 2022 Champion: Kieran Smith, Florida (1:39.51)

Top 8:

1. Bradley Dunham (Georgia) – 1:38.90
2. Jack Dahlgren (Missouri) – 1:40.09
3. Baylor Nelson (Texas A&M) – 1:40.15
4. Nathaniel Stoffle (Auburn) – 1:40.34
5. Ian Grum (Georgia) – 1:40.56
6. Aidan Stoffle (Auburn) – 1:40.72
7. Ethan Gogulski (Texas A&M) – 1:40.81
8. Nick Simons (Tennessee) – 1:40.99

Georgia senior Bradley Dunham threw down a huge new personal best in the 200 back, ripping a 1:38.90 to lead the prelims field by more than a second. His previous best came at last year’s SEC Championships, a 1:40.54 that earned him the second seed in prelims before he ultimately placed fourth in the final with a 1:40.69. Dunham’s new lifetime best is a couple tenths below the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 1:39.13.

In tonight’s final, Dunham will have to watch out for Missouri’s Jack Dahlgren, who has been as fast as 1:38.85 at last year’s NCAA Championships.

Texas A&M freshman Baylor Nelson (1:40.15) should also be in the mix for a spot on the podium tonight. The No. 1 recruit in the high school class of 2022 dropped more than a second off his lifetime best with his performance in prelims this morning.

Auburn’s Stoffle brothers, Nate (1:40.34) and Aidan (1:40.72), also booked their spots in tonight’s A-final as the fourth and sixth seeds, respectively.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 45.56, Simone Manuel (2017)
• SEC Record: 45.83, Erika Brown (2020)
• Meet Record: 45.83, Erika Brown (2020)
• Pool Record: 46.62, Simone Manuel (2014)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 47.18
• 2022 Champion: Morgan Scott, Alabama (47.32)

Top 8:

1. Maggie MacNeil (LSU) – 47.46
2. Kalia Antoniou (Alabama) – 47.47
3. Chloe Stepanek (Texas A&M) – 47.96
4. Brooklyn Douthwright (Tennessee) – 48.08
5. Micayla Cronk (Florida) – 48.36
6. Ekate Nikonova (Florida) – 48.38
7. Talia Bates (Florida) – 48.53
8. Katie Mack (Florida) – 48.53

LSU star Maggie MacNeil (47.46) edged Alabama senior Kalia Antoniou (47.47) for the top seed in the women’s 100 free prelims. MacNeil was slightly off her seed time, but for Antoniou, it surpassed her previous best from 2021.

Texas A&M’s Chloe Stepanek was the only other swimmer sub-48 in prelims. Florida showed off its depth as Micayla Cronk (48.36), Ekaterina Nikonova (48.38), Talia Bates (48.53) and Katie Mack (48.53) secured the fifth through eighth qualifying spots this morning.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 39.90, Caeleb Dressel (2018)
• SEC Record: 39.90, Caeleb Dressel (2018)
• Meet Record: 40.87, Caeleb Dressel (2018)
• Pool Record: 40.87, Caeleb Dressel (2018)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.64
• 2022 Champion: Brooks Curry, LSU (40.99)

Top 8:

1. Josh Liendo (Florida) – 41.22
2. Jordan Crooks (Tennessee) – 41.44
3. Gui Caribe (Tennessee) – 41.59
4. Julian Smith (Florida) – 41.98
5. Macguire McDuff (Florida) – 42.03
6. Brooks Curry (LSU) – 42.20
7. Adam Chaney (Florida) – 42.26
8. Max Berg (Kentucky) – 42.26

Florida freshman Josh Liendo shaved nearly half a second off his season-best from last November, clocking a 41.22 to edge Tennessee sophomore Jordan Crooks (41.44) for the top qualifying spot heading into tonight’s highly anticipated showdown. While it was a best time for Liendo, who’s now the second-fastest freshman of all time in the event, Crooks may have a little more left in the tank as his personal best sits at 41.16 from last year’s NCAA Championships.

Tennessee freshman Gui Caribe wasn’t far behind Liendo and Crooks with a 41.59. All three were under NCAA ‘A’ cut of 41.64. Caribe was the second-fastest freshman in the history of the event behind Crooks with a 41.44 from last November until Liendo’s swim today made him the third-fastest.

Florida sophomore Julian Smith was the only other swimmer in the field sub-42 with a 41.98.

Defending national and conference champion Brooks Curry of LSU qualified sixth (42.20), just .06 seconds ahead of Florida sophomore Adam Chaney (42.26) and Kentucky junior Max Berg (42.26), who tied for the last two spots in the A-final.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 2:01.43, Kate Douglass (2023)
• SEC Record: 2:03.26, Bethany Galat (2018)
• Meet Record: 2:04.62, Sydney Pickrem (2018)
• Pool Record: 2:04.62, Sydney Pickrem (2018)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:06.18
• 2022 Champion: Gillian Davey, Kentucky (2:06.21)

Top 8:

1. Mona McSharry (Tennessee) – 2:06.28
2. Avery Wiseman (Alabama) – 2:07.77
3. Zoie Hartman (Georgia) – 2:07.78
4. Cat Wright (Alabama) – 2:08.10
5. Gillian Davey (Kentucky) – 2:08.64
6. Bridget Engel (Kentucky) – 2:09.17
7. Alessia Ferraguti (Arkansas) – 2:09.51
8. Jocelyn Fisher (Alabama) – 2:09.98

Tennessee junior Mona McSharry put herself in prime position for a breaststroke sweep here at SECs after breaking the 100 breast meet record last night. Her top-seeded prelims time of 2:06.28 is nearly a second and a half clear of the No. 2 qualifier, Alabama sophomore Avery Wiseman (2:07.77), and McSharry likely still has more left in the tank as her lifetime best is still a whole second quicker. Wiseman is one of three Alabama swimmers in tonight’s A-final along with No. 4 seed Cat Wright (2:08.10) and No. 8 seed Jocelyn Fisher (2:09.98).

Kentucky also put multiple swimmers in the A-final courtesy of Gillian Davey (2:08.64) and Bridget Engel (2:09.17). Davey delivered a victory in this event last year with a 2:06.21 just ahead of No. 3 qualifier Zoie Hartman and McSharry.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:47.91, Will Licon (2017)
• SEC Record: 1:50.80, Nic Fink (2015)
• Meet Record: 1:51.56, Derek Maas (2022)
• Pool Record: 1:51.09, Alex Sanchez (2022)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:51.54
• 2022 Champion: Derek Maas, Alabama (1:51.56)

Top 8:

1. Dillon Hillis (Florida) – 1:51.53 *Meet Record
2. Aleksas Savickas (Florida) – 1:51.59
3. Andres Puente (Texas A&M) – 1:53.30
4. Lyubomir Epitropov (Tennessee) – 1:53.41
5. Reid Mikuta (Auburn) – 1:53.54
6. Derek Maas (Alabama) – 1:53.66
7. Alex Sanchez (Texas A&M) – 1:53.91
8. Ben Patton (Missouri) – 1:54.54

Florida fifth year Dillon Hillis posted a big time drop to claim the top seed in the men’s 200 breast final tonight while also taking down the SEC meet record. Hillis shaved more than five seconds off his season best from last November with his 1:51.53, sneaking under the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 1:51.54. It’s a new lifetime best for Hillis, lowering his previous mark of 1:52.12 from last year’s NCAA Championships and resetting the meet record of 1:51.56 set last year by Alabama’s Derek Maas.

Florida teammate Aleksas Savickas was close behind Hillis with a 1:51.59, just three-tenths of a second off his personal best from last November. The rest of the pack was almost two seconds behind Savickas and Hillis during prelims.

MEN’S PLATFORM – PRELIMS

• SEC Record: 507.15 – Zhipeng Zeng, Tennessee (2018)
• SEC Meet Record: 496.55 – Juan Celaya Hernandez, LSU (496.55)
• 2022 Champion: Juan Hernandez, LSU (430.55)

WOMEN’S 1650 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: Katie Ledecky (Stanford): 15:03.31
• SEC Record: Brittany MacLean (Georgia): 15:27.84
• Meet Record: Brittany MacLean (Georgia): 15:36.52
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 15:52.41
• 2022 Champion: Kristen Stege, Tennessee (15:42.37)

MEN’S 1650 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: Bobby Finke (Florida): 14:12.08
• SEC Record: Bobby Finke (Florida): 14:12.08
• Meet Record: Bobby Finke (Florida): 14:12.08
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 14:37.31
• 2022 Champion: Trey Freeman, Florida (14:39.74)